Based on an analysis of two large databases on breast cancer, reduced activity of an autophagy gene, beclin 1, was related to both a higher incidence of triple-negative breast cancer and a poorer prognosis for breast cancer patients.

The study, published in the online journal EBioMedicine, is the first to document a correlation between beclin 1 and triple-negative human breast cancer and validates research in mouse models.

“Patients with breast cancer and low beclin 1 expression had a 67 percent increase in the risk of dying from breast cancer compared with patients who had higher levels of beclin 1 expression,” Dr. Xie said.